Chemicals Producer Clariant AG Restructures with Plant Closures, Acquisitions

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--In recent years, specialty chemicals producer Clariant AG (VTX:CLN) (Muttenz, Switzerland) has performed major corporate restructuring, which has entailed the closure of several plants and production units, as well as the acquisition of established chemical companies.

Clariant has at least two less manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom. Hodgson Chemical Limited, a subsidiary of Clariant, formerly operated plants in Beverley and Selby, in northern England. The polymer resins plant in Beverly has since shut down. The inorganic pigments plant in Selby was sold to Industrial Chemicals Limited in 2009, and now operates as a toll manufacturer for such products as water treatment chemicals, flocculants, detergents and other specialty chemicals.

Clariant has closed other plants throughout the world over the past few years. At the end of 2008, Clariant's plant in Coventry, Rhode Island, permanently shut its doors, and was decommissioned and dismantled over the following year. At the company's plant in Huningue, France, Clariant began shutting down its organic pigments plant one unit at a time, with the first unit stopping operations in June 2010. By the end of 2011, it is expected that the plant will begin its closure operations by dismantling and reselling salvageable equipment, and demolishing and scrapping the other remaining materials.

Also by the end of 2011, Clariant UK Limited is planning to cease operations at its Pontypridd, Wales, organic intermediates plant. The company is currently evaluating closure options for the plant's dismantlement and demolition, which will likely occur in 2012.

Earlier this year, after a process that only publicly took a matter of months, Clariant acquired German company Süd-Chemie AG (Munich), furthering the company's restructuring. With the newly acquired Sud-Chemie AG, other forms of restructuring of Clariant may still be in works, but only time will tell.

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